**WARNING** UK Dealers To Avoid

[Maximus]

Has anyone had negative experiences with any UK Festool dealers?  I've ordered from various official dealers and up to now they've all been excellent, but I've just had a really hideous experience with Dibranto so I wanted to pass on the warning!

Here's what happended.

I saw a listing for the power hub at a reasonable price on their web site.  I was shown as "in stock" and with next day delivery for an additional £4.99 (most dealers deliver free over a hundred quid but I'll let that slide for now)  So I ordered very early in the day, a long time before the 2pm cut-off for next day receipt.  Received an automated receipt in my inbox.

Waited in the whole next day but no delivery.  Telephoned Dibranto customer services and got put through to someone who obviously speaks English as a second language - a real struggle to understand (and I have a good ear) but the upshot was they said their sales department was busy, he was the IT guy and would let them know and get them to phone me back.  NOTHING.

Next day I called again, same non native issue but told this time that very sorry, they didn't have stock and are waiting on Festool to deliver to them, so it's Festools fault.  I pointed out the item had been shown as in stock and still was, to which he had no answer.  But he promised that I'd receive my power hub day after tomorrow.  I wasn't too happy but agreed to wait the extra time as good faith.

Two days later, and still no delivery.  By now I'm seriously unimpressed.  In the meantime I've been trying to log in to their web site to track the order and discover I've been locked out of my account and can only get back in if customer services first re-set my access.  I email them about this and request a firm delivery date too.  My first email is ignored.  The second one I copy direct to Festool, and Dibranto respond 24 hours later.  They ignore the account access issue and someone tells me they're looking into it and will get back to me the next day.

Next day I'm telephoned by yet another hard to understand non native speaker who backtracks on their previous delivery promise and says now that Festool still haven't delivered (item still advertised as "in stock" btw) and it will be next week.  Because I'm a nice guy I tell them I'll wait another few days.

A few days later NADA.

So I email them and say that I'm officially cancelling my order and please refund me immediately.  I ask for a written confirmation of my refund too.

No response.

Luckily I paid via PayPal so I lodge an official dispute for goods not received.  Next day my PayPal payment is reversed and I have a refund.

Incredibly, Dibranto phone me up and the guy tries to extort positive feedback from me.  [mad] [mad] [mad]
Says that as part of the refund process I need to go to Google - while he waits on the phone - and I "must leave positive feedback because a refund has been authorised"  The strong implication is that I won't see my money unless I agree.  In total shock I politely decline and put the phone down on him.

This experience has been the worst I've ever encountered with any company anywhere.  Ever.  I have no connection with Festool or any other dealerships.  I'm simply a customer who's warning you NEVER to trust Dibranto.  I'm truly shocked that such dishonest and unprofessional behavior is going on, especially by a company who is listed on the Festool web portal as being an official dealership.

I'm determined not to stay silent about this experience, and I now see that Trust Pilot shows others have had similar experiences.  I see too that several people state they had order problems yet their feedback is oddly positive.  I'd be willing to bet their feedback was manipulated through the same sort of threat as made to me.  Luckily I don't let myself be bullied or pushed around though.  I'll be forwarding this all to Festool too.

By the way, a customer review on Trustpilot also warns of unauthorized card use by Dibranto for additional payments.  Hence my relief that I used PayPal.

Take my advice - stay a hundred miles away from these jokers!  And what the hell were Festool thinking, appointing them as dealers!?  [blink]

 

[joiner1970]

Often see their name come up on Google searches but I don't think I've ever used them.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[Nat X]

Sounds awful, but I fail to see what PayPal did for you that any credit card issuer would not have.

 

[Maximus]

Sounds awful, but I fail to see what PayPal did for you that any credit card issuer would not have.

If I'd used my credit card Dibranto would now know my card details, so could theoretically make unauthorised charges - or pass on the details to a third party.  PayPal does not work like that and I'm insulated.

 

[peterboy]

Thanks for taking the time to give a heads up.

 

[Maximus]

I forgot to mention also:

Just prior to lodging my official PayPal claim I did finally regain access to my Dibranto account (this was my first, only and last ever order at Dibranto, but an account was created when I gave my details during the ordering process)  I was shocked to discover they were claiming "Payment failure" despite me having a receipt from Dibranto plus confirmation of payment processed by both PayPal and my bank.

Basically I've never experienced any company who are so completely and entirely unworthy of consumer trust. 
You've been warned!

 

[Jonnio]

I know power tool supplies sometimes will order from germany once the order has been made and there will be a five days wait, quite normal. Perhaps this is a new company with a few teething problems with communication but you still may have got your item.
Glad you got your refund tho.

 

[antss]

Fibbing about inventory being in stock and promising you'll have an item in two days and then not delivering aren't teething problems [member=31529]Jonnio[/member]

 

[Jonnio]

Maybe. But without any evidence, accusing them of possible credit card fraud is a bit strong.

 

[antss]

I don't think [member=63019]Spiff[/member] accused them of CC fraud. 

He only said that paypal eliminated that possibility and that a reviewer accused them of it.

Neither of which has bearing on Spiff's non-transaction.

 

[Maximus]

Maybe. But without any evidence, accusing them of possible credit card fraud is a bit strong.

Hi Jonnio,
To be absolutely clear, I do not accuse Dibranto of credit card fraud. 
I merely state for your information that I've seen third party customer feedback on Trustpilot stating they experienced unauthorised card charges.  Draw your own conclusion from that, but I make no accusations.  All I've said is given this information I'm glad I used PayPal, because had I used a credit card there'd be a theoretical possibility of my details being misused.  Given my overall experience plus the percentage and weight of other peoples negative feedback I think it's understandable that I feel very wary of Dibranto as a company.  I hope that clears things up.

 

[Maximus]

I don't think [member=63019]Spiff[/member] accused them of CC fraud. 

He only said that paypal eliminated that possibility and that a reviewer accused them of it.

Neither of which has bearing on Spiff's non-transaction.

[big grin] What you said antss

 

[Maximus]

I know power tool supplies sometimes will order from germany once the order has been made and there will be a five days wait, quite normal. Perhaps this is a new company with a few teething problems with communication but you still may have got your item.
Glad you got your refund tho.

Dibranto is a Festool dealer and I'm pretty sure Festool UK would have something strong to say if they were sourcing from abroad, bypassing the UK distributor.  Also, Dibranto is in no way a new company!  From their About Us page:

"Established by director Atish Patel’s father in 1975 on the Fulham Road, the company was initially known as The Incredible General Store, changing its name in 1988 to IdeaBright and from thence establishing the Dibranto." (sic)

 

[antss]

Admittedly it's been a while since I lived in London, but the Fulham Rd. is kind of a poncy locale for a tool peddler isn't it ?

 

[mrboult]

Good to know. Thanks OP

 

[Euclid]

I called in there a few days ago (hadn't used or visited them before), trying to pick up a Festool item shown as being in stock on their website. But no, they didn't stock (and implied that it wasn't something they'd keep in stock), if it had been available it would have to come from Germany anyway, and showed no interest in actually finding out if they could get it. I'm curious to know what would have happened if I'd tried to order it online.

About half-a-dozen staff were milling around the counter chatting; their attitude was utterly dismissive and I was made to feel I was interrupting something by entering the store.

As I say, my only encounter with them, but I can't say I was impressed.

 

[LJD]

Thought it was illegal in the uK to take a payment for a item that is NOT in stock .And they can only make a charge once they have received it etc ?

I know that shop very well.It use to be good.But expensive .Its rather like the dealer in Finchley .They would not get a penny off me these days for anything. Classic greed mentality

 

[bertv]

Sounds awful, but I fail to see what PayPal did for you that any credit card issuer would not have.

If I'd used my credit card Dibranto would now know my card details, so could theoretically make unauthorised charges - or pass on the details to a third party.  PayPal does not work like that and I'm insulated.

AFAIK Credit card transactions are not handled by the seller, but go through a cut out process, where the CC company passes on the money (witholding their fee) and the data necessary for delivering the goods. With this info sometimes the last four digits of a CC number are included, but NEVER the full number, nor the security code. So there is no way those guys can use your CC to do nefarious things.

That being said, I would CC (carbon copy!) your complaint to your CC (credit card!) company. If there are more complaints they might blacklist that firm.

 

[antss]

"About half-a-dozen staff were milling around the counter chatting; their attitude was utterly dismissive and I was made to feel I was interrupting something by entering the store."

That's exactly the Fulham Rd. shops I remember.  8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

 

[Maximus]

Hi Bert,

I believe it can happen one of two different ways - as you suggest, or with the vendor taking your card details direct.  Obviously the second version is much riskier for the customer, but I know for a fact that it occurs with some companies, having worked in the commercial sector myself. 

You can tell by what happens at the checkout.  Either you're re-directed to a third party payment company or you stay on the vendor site and plug your card details in there instead.  And some vendors store your full card details on their server.  [eek] Again, I know this from direct experience, and as a fact.  You'll also notice that some web sites ask you if you'd like them to store your card details, for faster checkout on future purchases.  Amazon is the most obvious example.  Not a good idea IMHO.

I know not which method Dibranto use, because as I said, I paid using PayPal.  [cool]

AFAIK Credit card transactions are not handled by the seller, but go through a cut out process, where the CC company passes on the money (witholding their fee) and the data necessary for delivering the goods. With this info sometimes the last four digits of a CC number are included, but NEVER the full number, nor the security code. So there is no way those guys can use your CC to do nefarious things.

That being said, I would CC (carbon copy!) your complaint to your CC (credit card!) company. If there are more complaints they might blacklist that firm.